Machine for laying cables, pipes, and the like



May 24, 1938. M. 'r. .1. GARLINGER 2,118,553

MACHINE- FOR LAYING GABLES, PIPES, AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 29, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 lllllllllllll INVENTOR.

MARSHALL From/as JosEPH GAELl/VGEK A ORNEY.

y 1938- M. T. J. GARLINGER 2,118,553

PIPES, AND THE LIKE MACHINE FOR LAYING CABLES,

Filed Jan. 29, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 m IWN Q Nx @Q wk Om m:

- INVENTOR. N4 RJHALL 7710,1125 JbSE/"H GAKL/NGEK.

May 24, 1938. M. 'r. J. GARLINGER MACHINE FOR LAYING CABLES, PIPES, AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 29, 1936' 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 m3 my INVENTOR.

fik/es/mu pro/m5 fox/v1 GARLl/VG'EK A oRNiaY.

6 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

MARSHALL 7710mm JOJEPH Gan/Nam 7 ATTORNEY May 24, 1938. M. T. .J. GARLINGER MACHINE FOR LAYING CABLES, PIPES, AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 29, 193

May 24, 1938. M. 'r. J. GARLINGER 2,118,553

MACHINE FOR LAYING CABLES, PIPES, AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 29, 1936' 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 H n n INVENTOR MARSHALL 7710/4/15 JOSEPH EARL/M9512 III 'III A ORNEY.

Patented May 24, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Marshall San J Thomas Joseph Gar-linger,

Application January 29, 1936, Serial No. 81,387

Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in machines for laying cables, pipes and the like and its principal object isto provide a machine of the character described that will be particu larly efficient in operation and that will lend itself to a great variety of uses. 7

More particularly my machine is an improvement over the cable laying apparatus described in Patent No. 1,863,671, issued June 21, 1932.

It is especially proposed in the present invention to provide a number of refinements and improvements in the patented machine whereby the operating efiiciency of the machine will be greatly improved and increased.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved coupling and alining means whereby the cable laying machine may be quickly and expeditiously connected to a draft vehicle. Since the draft vehicle for a cable laying machine carries the cable reel and has to be disconnected for each length of cable laid, the coupling operation takes place quite a number of times each day and the speed and expediency with which the coupling can be effected is of great importance.

It is further proposed to incorporate the cushioning means in the coupling, together with means for measuring the intensity of draft required to pull the load.

It is further proposed to arrange the wheels of the cable laying machinein such a manner that each wheel can be adjusted in a longitudinal direction and in an axial direction and may also be adjusted to a desired angularity relative to the frame of the machine whereby the eficiency and the adaptability of the machine to many varying conditions is much enhanced.

It is further proposed to provide power-actuated means for raising and lowering a cleaver support forming part of the cable laying machine and to provide mounting means for the cleaver support arranged in such a manner that the cleaver support may be readily removed for repair or substitution purposes.

It is further proposedto provide an improved cleaver arranged so that ready access may be had to a cutting blade forming part of the cleaver and to provide for other improvements and refinements in the construction of the cleaver.

It is a further object of the invention to provide suitable braking, locking means and depthgauging means in connection with the cleaver support as well as a metering device in connection with the cable feed.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for back-filling the crevice cut by the cleaver and for camping the disturbed region in one operation with the laying of the cable.

Further and other objects and advantages of my invention will appear as the specification proceeds.

The preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a complete cable laying outfit including a tractor, a reel ,carrier and a cable laying machine forming the spa cial subject matter of my invention,

Figure 2 a top plan view of my machine,

Figure 3 a side elevation of the same with one wheel removed. It should be understood that a sled, tracklayer, or articulated wheel frame may be substituted for the wheel.

Figure 4 a transverse section taken along line 4-4 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 a vertical, longitudinal section through the cleaver used in my machine,

Figure 6 a horizontal section through the cleaver taken along line 6--6' of Figure 5,

Figure '7 a side elevation of the cleaver, with a front section raised to give access to the cutter,

Figure 8 a vertical tranverse section through the front portion of the machine, taken along line 8-8 of Figure 2,

Figure 9 a similar section taken along line 9-9 of Figure 2,

Figure 10 a horizontal section taken along line Ill-I0 of Figure 4,

Figure 11 a fragmentary vertical section taken along line H-ll of Figure 2 and showing the upper portion of the cleaver support and associated parts,

Figures 12, 13, and 14 end or sectional views of different shapes of feeding tubes,

Figure 15 a side elevation of a modified cablelaying outfit, and

Figure 16 a side elevation showing a modified outfit including an exploring cleaver and means for laying pipe that does not bend with sufficient ease for feeding from a reel; for, when exploring the soil, the spiral mole may or may not be employed.

While I have shown only the preferred forms of my invention I wish to have it understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the claims hereto attached without departing from the spirit of the invention. Particularly it should be understood that while I have described my machine principally as a cable laying machine it may be used for laying pipes, tubes, drain tile, wire and any other material of similar characteristics, as well as in farming operations in which it is desirable to cut deep crevices or furrows for. cultivating, irrigating, draining, planting, fertilizing and other purposes, and all of these objects are to be con sidered the equivalents of the expression cable wherever used in this specification.

The preferred arrangement is shown in Figure 1 from which it appears that a complete cable laying outfit usually consists of or includes a tractor l, a reel carrier 2 and the cable laying machine I. It is apparent that any other draft means may be substituted for the tractor and that additional power may be obtained by adding further tractors which may be secured to the tractor shown by means of the hook 4. The reel carrier is attached to the tractor by the conventional coupling I and has the reel 4 mounted thereon from which the cable I is fed to the cable laying machine I. It is connected to the cable laying machine by means of the universal coupling 9 including a horizontal pivot ll, a vertical pivot II and the pin l2 projecting fro the latter pivot.

The cable laying machine comprises in its principal features a frame II, wheels I4 with their adjusting mechanism, a coupling and alining device II, a cleaver l6 and its supporting post i1 and operating mechanism for the same, the back flliers II and the tamper I! with their operating mechanisms.

The frame It comprises in its principal features two longitudinal beams 20 arranged in spaced relation and connected in front by the casting 2| (see Figure 8) which has flanges 22 straddling the beams and webs 23 lying against the inner faces of the beams and being secured thereto by means of bolts 24. The two beams are preferably made hollow and rectangular in cross-section and their rear ends are held in flxed and spaced relation by a bolt 24 and by being bolted to a cross-member 25 as shown at 26.

In addition to these two beams, which may be referred to as the inner beams, I provide two outer beams 21 which are rigidly secured tothe inner beams at 24 as by welding and the rear ends of which are bolted to the cross-member 25 as at 29. The outer beams run parallel to the inner beams through the major portion thereof, and are bent in their front portions as at 30 to join the inner beams. The latter are tapered in their front portions as shown at 3|.

The wheels l4 support this frame with freedom of adjustment in three different ways, longitudinally, laterally and angularly. Instead of wheels, sleds may be used or traclrlayer tracks, articulated wheel frames and the like, all of which are intended to be covered by the expression wheels wherever used.

For receiving the axles of the wheels I provide two bearing blocks 32 which are slidably mounted on the outer and inner beams on each side of the frame. The specific construction of these blocks is shown in Figure 4, each block comprising a rectangular box 33 slidable on the outer beam and horizontal top and bottom plates 84 projecting from the box over the intervening space into straddling relation with the inner beam. Each block may be moved along the beams by means of the screw 35 threaded into a nut section it of the block and actuated, through the bevel gears 31 (see Figure 3), by means of the post 48 and the hand wheel 39. Due to the screw engagement the block will be locked in any position to which it may be adjusted.

Each of the blocks carries a housing 40 to slidably receive the inner axle section 4| which is pivoted to the outer axle section or spindle 42 as at 43. The inner axle section is made in the form of a rack rod and meshes with the pinion 44 which latter may be turned by means of a wrench engaging the squared end of the pinion shaft 4. It will be noted that in this manner the wheels may be adjusted laterally for adjusting the width of the track so as to maize t e la ter a,11a,sss

correspond to the tread of the preceding vehicles for facilitating the travel of the wheels.

The rack rod is locked in adjusted position by the set screw 45'.

For tilting each wheel I provide two brackets 44 and 41, one rising from the block 32 and the other from the spindle 42 and each of these brackets has a trunnion block 48 and 49 to threadedly receive the screw 50 which has a left hand thread at one end and a right hand thread at the other end and an angular head in the center by means of which it may be operated. When the screw is turned in one direction the wheel will be made to tilt outward with its upper portion as indicated in Figure 4 and if the screw is turned in the opposite direction the wheel will move through rectangular position to an opposite angularity.

Thus each wheel may be independently adjusted longitudinally by operation of the hand wheel 39, laterally by operation of the pinion shaft 45 and angularly by operation of the screw 54.

The cleaver II with its supporting post I! occupies the central position of the frame. The cleaver is illustrated in detail in Figures and 6 and its general characteristics are that it is a narrow vertical body tapering to an inclined cutting edge in front and provided with a horizontal cutting edge at the bottom. It is made in two sections BI and 52, the former section being a box-like structure with approximately parallel side walls 53 converging toward the front as at 54, an inclined rear wall 55, a bottom wear plate 55' and a front wall which is vertical in its upper portion and inclined in its lower portion as at I to form a seat for the blade 51 which is bolted thereto by the bolt SI. The blade is provided with a plurality of bolt holes so that it may be advanced as the cutting edge wears off. The inclined portion 56 is continued through the body to the rear wall 55 to brace the cleaver and to form a bearing for the feed pipe 59 which extends obliquely through the cleaver and terminates with a flared end at the bottom of the rear wall of the cleaver. The front wall of the section 51 has an undercut 6. over the wall 56 to receive the rear end of the blade 51.

The section I2 forms the front of the cleaver. It has an inclined front edge formed with a groove adapted to receive the root-cutter blade 6| which is held in place by rivets 62. It is pivoted on the pin 83 which latter is supported in a flange 64 depending from the feed pipe 59 and when in active position its bottom edge rests on the blade 51. It is firmly held in place by an eye bolt 6! pivoted to the pin 66 extending transversely through this section and bolted to a cross-rib 61 provided in the bottom of the first section II. The inclined seat 58 and the, blade are suitably apertured as at 44 to allow the bolt to move when the front section 52 is swung upward on its pivot 63. The flange 64 is provided with an aperture 69 below the pivot 61 so that when the front section is swung upward, a bolt may be inserted through the aperture as shown in Figure 'l for holding the front section in raised position. Any other suitable locking arrangement may be substituted for the means described.

It will be noted that in this manner the front section, upon loosening of the eye bolt 65, either at the bottom or at the eye, may be swung upward and locked in raised position so as to give ready and easy access to the blade 51 for adjustment, repair or substitution of a new blade.

Since front section 52 is subjected to considerable wear, the entire section, as well as the root-cutter blade 6|, may also be easily removed, repaired or replaced. This will increase the operating economy and efficiency of the entire machine.

The supporting post II, which is hollow and rectangular in cross-section extends vertically upward from the cleaver and is secured to the latter by' extended sides straddling the upper portion of the cleaver and riveted or otherwise permanently fastened thereto. The feed pipe 59 extends through the lower portion of the post I! and then forwardly to terminate in a flaring mouth II The ends of the feed pipe are slightly curved in opposite directions to resemble the letter S. In order to maintain the feed pipe in clean condition I provide suitable means therefor, here shown as an acetylene torch 59', which may be permanently or removably mounted on the feed pipe and by means of which any inflammable or other residue left in the pipe may be burnt out, the pipe serving as a chimney to furnish the necessary draft.

The post I1 is vertically guided between two confronting guide elements I2 and 12' bolted to the inner faces of the inner beams 20 as at 13 and to the cross-member 25 as at 26 and the elements are formed to provide four guide grooves I4 for the four corners of the post. The bolt 24' passesthrough the guide elements and an interposed spacer 25'.

For raising and lowering the post and for holding it in adjusted position I provide means here shown as a rack I5 on one of the side faces of the post and a pinion I6 to mesh therewith. The pinion has a shaft 11 which is supported in a bearing 18 and is provided, at its free end, with a drum I9 which has a chain 90 wound thereon. This chain may be connected, by any suitable means, to the power-driven winch 8| provided at the rear end of the tractor as shown in Figure 1, so that the cleaver post may be positively actuated in either substantially vertical direction by the power plant of the tractor, the direction of movement being reversed by reversing the winding of the chain on the drum.

On one side of the drum 19 I provide a brake drum 82 with a suitable brake mechanism indicated at 89 in Figure 3 for temporarily holding the post in position during adjusting operations.

For more permanently holding the post in position I provide means here shown as the mechanism illustrated particularly well in Figure 1-1 and comprising a small rack 84 pivoted on the pin 85 and supported in the guide element 12 and adapted for meshing with the rack rod I5 when swung into vertical position by means of the lever 86. While the weight of the lever has a normal tendency to hold the rack 84 in looking position I provide additional positive locking means in the cam 81 which is pivoted behind the rack as at 88 and which is actuated by a second lever 89.

The drum I9 is provided with an outer flange 90, the outer face of which is graduated to form a dial indicating the depth of the crevice cut by the cleaver or the coverage over the laid material when the wheels rest on the ground surface. A particular point, as at C may be identitled on the dial as indicating when the cleaver is raised sufiiciently to clear the ground surface when the machine is in transit. An arrow 90' points towardthe dial.

At the upper end of the feed pipe for the cable I provide a metering device in the form of a friction wheel 9| which rides on the cable and is rotated thereby. The wheel is supported on a shaft 92 mounted in a bracket 93 and the shaft operates the counter 94 to indicate the length of cable passing through the feed pipe.

Riearwardly of the cleaver I provide means, here shown as back-filler blades I8 which serve the purpose of throwing the disturbed material back into the crevice and to cover the cable or material laid. The blades are preferably staggered, as shown in the drawings, and are mounted on the rear ends of. two plow beams 96, the front ends of which are pivoted in the rear ends of the .drums I00 and IM which are connected, through chains I02, with the plow beams. The shafts are supported in brackets I03 projecting rearwardly from the outer main frame beams 21 and may be revolved by means of a crank handle I04 engaging the squared ends thereof. Suitable pawl and ratchet arrangements I05 may be used to hold the shafts against reverse motion.

The back-filler blades are followed by suitable tamping means such as the roller I9 pivoted in the rear ends of two arms I06, the front ends of which are hinged to the rear, ends of the main frame beams 21 as shown at I01. The roller may also be lifted into inactive position by means of chains I 08, one end of which is secured to the drums I09 fixed to the shaft IIO supported in the brackets I03 and operable by means of the crank handle I04 previously mentioned. A pawl and ratchet arrangement I II serves to hold the roller in raised position.

Difficulties are encountered frequently in the coupling of the cable laying machine to the reel carrier, particularly in view of the heavy Weights involved and the unevenness of the ground surface found in field operations. To overcome these difficulties which are often accompanied by serious hazards to the operators and which always result in considerable lost time, I provide the special coupling and alining means I5 shown in the front portion of the cable laying machine.

The casting 2i, previously mentioned as serving the purpose of holding the front ends of the beams 20 in fixed relation, is provided with a central conduit II! which is circular in crosssection and has an outwardly flaring rounded front portion, adapted to receive the pin I2 projecting from the universal joint 9. This pin terminates in a head H3. A chain H4 is secured to this head and is guided over a sheave II5 which is slantingly mounted on one of the beams 20 so that its receiving point is in alinement with the conduit II2. For coupling operations the free end of the chain H4 is connected, by any suitable means, to the winch 8| on the tractor, so that, when the winch is turned by the power plant of the tractor, the two vehicles will be drawn together and will automatically, aline themselves due to the fact that first the chain and then afterwards the pin I2 are guided by the conduit H2.

Back of the casting 2| a transverse frame H5 is slidably mounted on the two inner frame beams 20 by means of top and bottom plates I I6 and I I1 riding on the top and bottom faces of the beams. Two vertical plates II8 project forwardly from the transverse plates spaced by a distance substantially equal to the diameter of the conduit 0 the head 3 of the pin I! which is followed by a round neck portion I It. The two vertical plates have inward projections in at their forward extremities and when the head has advanced to the position shown in the drawings (Figure 2) a C washer Ill may be dropped behind the head over the neck portion for holding the head against withdrawal.

The outer faces of the vertical plate Ill have flanges I22 curved to form beds for springs in and bent downward at their outer ends to bear against the main beams 20. The springs serve as cushioning members between the cable laying device and the draft vehicle and also indicate by the extent of their compression, the resistance offered by the cable laying machine to the forward pull. A suitable instrument I24 of the dynamometer type may be used for translating the spring compression into terms of power used for advancing the machine which will lead to quick detection of abnormal conditions or obstacles encountered by the cleaver and will also be found useful in testing the power of any draft vehicles, or means of draft.

At times it may become necessary to remove the cleaver and its supporting post from the machine for repair purposes or substitution of a different kind and I have provided in my machine a very simple means of accomplishing this purpose. As has been stated before the front ends of the beams 2| are held in fixed and spaced relation by the front casting 2| through the bolts 24. In addition to this fastening means I provide a pivotal connection If! between the front end of one of the beams 20 and the casting II. When I desire to remove the cleaver post I remove the bolts 2, 24', ll and 2! connecting the rear ends of the four main beams to the cross-member 25, whereupon the rear end of the machine may be opened in a scissor-like action, turning on the pivot I", so as to free the cleaver post. A forward draft of the machine will then pull the machine away from the cleaver post. In the same manner the machine may be re-engaged with the cleaver post by a reversal of operation.

It should be \mderstood, of course, that only a few inches of separation between the two halves of the frame are required for clearing the post and that such portions of the back-filling and tamping devices as are in the way have to be removed for this operation.

While the feed pipe for the cable is shown in the main figures as a single conduit, it is apparent that it may be readily changed to serve various purposes, particularly for laying several different objects at the same time. Thus I have shown the feed pipe I26 in Figure 12 as being rectangular in form and as being divided into nine rectangular conduits III, while the pipe I" of Figure 13 is circular in cross-section, with four sectorshaped subdivisions III-and the pipe I" of Fig ure 14 is circular in cross-section and is subdivided into a number of conduits III also circular in cross-section.

Figure 15 shows a modification in the arrangement of the whole outfit insofar as the reel I32v is carried directly by the truck I which also furnishes the power of the draft. In case additional power is required, a tractor may be placed in front and connected to the truck by means of the hook I. The power winch I35 in this case is disposed on the bed of the truck. I The wheels ll of the laying device serve at the same time for rear wheels for the truck.

In the form shownin Figure 16 a simplified a,ue,sss

cleaver Ill known as an explorer is substituted for the cleaver previously described. No feed pipe for the cable is provided and the object of using the explorer is to test the ground for obstacles and to prepare the way for the regular cleaver where the ground is in such condition that it would be too difficult to break the ground and lay the cable in one operation. This simplified cleaver may be used for laying rigid pipes or pipes that will not readily bend and cannot be fed from a reel, as well as materials which can be reeled. In this case a furrow or ditch may be prepared corresponding to the depth to which the pipe is to be laid and sufflciently long to accommodate a pipe length. This pipe length is then connected to the cleaver by means of the spiral mole III which is swivelled to the cleaver as at I" and which is larger in diameter than the pipe and the cleaver is drawn through the ground in the same manner as previously described, it being understood that the revolving spiral mole may of may not revolve the pipe. When one pipe length is laid a second length is connected to the rear end thereof and the cleaver is again advanced by the distance of that pipe length, when a third section is joined. The spiral mole can also be used to lay other material herein mentioned.

The operation of my machine is as follows:

Assuming the outfit is assembled substantially as shown in Figure 1, consisting of a tractor, a reel carrier and the cable laying machine, with the cleaver above the ground, the first operation is to adjust the cleaver into working position. For this purpose the rack 84 is first released and the cleaver lowered to the ground surface by gravity, the brake being used to control this downward movement. Next the chain II is connected, by any suitable means, cable or rope, to the power winch II and the drum I! is revolved for effecting further relativemovement between the cleaver post and the frame of the cable laying machine. Since the post cannot move further, part of the frame II will be lifted off the ground and this operation is continued until the dial on the flange or disc 9| indicates the proper relationship. Cleaver post i1 is now locked as described. Next the laying machine is pulled forward and the cleaver will dig itself into the ground surface to the desired depth.

Instead of following this procedure the operator may prepare a hole underneath the cleaver of the desired depth and lower the cleaver into the hole by gravity, the cable or the like being held as below mentioned.

The cable of the reel is guided through the feed pipe 59 and is held by any suitable means until the length of the cable laid and covered offers sufiicient earth-frictional seizure to hold the same in place.

The wheels may be adjusted in the manner previously described to suit working conditions. The tread of the wheels may be adjusted by lateral movement to correspond to that of the tractor or the reel carrier or both. When working on a hill side the wheels may be tilted to the proper angularity to compensate for the slope. The wheels may be adjusted longitudinally to effect proper balancing of the forces and best operating conditions of the cleaver and exit end of the feed tube. The wheels roll on the ground and maintain the cleaver in such position that material is laid at constant depth, or at constant coverage.

The filler blades are lowered to the ground surface and due to their staggered relation fill (I in first from one side and then from the other while larger rocks are allowed to escape between the same. The roller or tamper finally urges the disturbed material back into the crevice cut by the cleaver and firmly packs the same.

The metering device in the counter 94 indicates the length of cable fed.

The springs I23 serve as cushioning means or shock absorbers and lengthen the life of the machine, while at the same time they allow the intensity of the'draft to be measured in the dynamometer I24, also unusual obstacles to be readily discovered and the condition of draft means to be determined.

After the entire length of cable has been fed from the reel, the reel carrier is disconnected and pulled by the tractor to a place where a new reel may be substituted for the empty one. The reel carrier is then maneuvered-back into approximately the correct place for recoupling, the chain H4 is guided through the conduit H2 and over the sheave H5 and is connected to the power winch 8!. Upon application of power the pin I2 is drawn through the conduit H2, during which operation the reel carrier and the cable laying machine automatically aline themselves, and after the pin l2 has reached the proper position it is locked in position by dropping a Cwasher l2l in position behind the head H3 of the pin. The new cable or the like may now be fastened to the cable previously laid and further operations proceeded with. Pin l2 may oscillate in conduit NZ to allow for angular alinement on uneven soil or earth surface between thelaying machine and the other vehicles.

If soil conditions on account of buried or hidden obstacles make such procedure desirable, the laying machine may be preceded by the explorer shown in Figure 16, which should be adjusted to cut somewhat deeper than the intended depth of the cable or the like. The spiral may or may not be used in this operation.

The apparatus as shown in Figures 1 and 15 can also be used for exploring. Back-fillers l8 and tamper I9 may or may not be raised from the ground as desired.

I claim: I

1. A machine of the character described comprising a vehicle having two frame sections, one pivoted to the other in the front of the vehicle, means for detachably connecting the rear ends of the frame sections, confronting guide elements on the two frame sections and a cleaver support adjustably held between the guide elements,one of the sections with its guide element being swingable on the pivot when the rear connecting means is detached for releasing the cleaver sup port.

2. A machine of the character described comprising a frame, earth cleaving means carried thereby made to cut a crevice in a surface. a feed tube having an exit end for delivering a cable or the like into the crevice cut by the cleaving means, a pair of wheels supporting the frame, means for axially moving the wheels individually for adjusting the space between the wheels and the relative position of the cleaving means and the exit end of the feed pipe with respect to the wheels, and means for securing the wheels in adjusted position.

3. A machine of the character described comprising a frame, earth cleaving means carried thereby, a feed pipe associated with the cleaving means having an exit end, a pair of wheels supporting the frame, and means for individually moving each wheel longitudinally of the frame for effecting a desired placing of the cleaving means and exit end of the feed pipe in relation to the axes of the wheels.

4. A machine of the character described comprising a frame, earth cleaving means carried thereby to cut a crevice in a surface, a feed tube associated with the cleaving means, a pair of wheels supporting the frame and mounted tiltably relative thereto, and means for tilting each of the wheels individually, whereby the wheels can be tilted without effecting the cleaving means.

5. In a machine of the character described, a vehicle having a pair of frame sections, means hinging one section to the other at one end of the frame sections, detachable connecting means normally holding the frame sections against swinging movement relative to each other, confronting guides on the frame sections, and a cleaver support adjustably held between the guides, the frame sections being swingable on the hinging means away from each other when the connecting means is detached for releasing the cleaver support.

6. In a machine of the character described, a vehicle having a pair of frame sections, means hinging the frame sections together at one end thereof, means detachably connecting the other ends of the frame together, confronting guide elements on the frame sections, a cleaver support adjustably held between the guide elements, a spacer interposed between the guide elements, and a bolt passing through the spacer and the frame sections, for drawing the latter upon the cleaver support, the frame sections being swingable on the hinging means when the connecting means are detached and the bolt removed for releasing the cleaver support.

7. In a machine of the character described, a frame, wheel-supported axle sections carrying the frame and arranged to leave a space between the sections, and a cleaver support mounted in said space with freedom of vertical adjustment.

8. In a machine of the character described, a frame, wheel-supported axle sections carrying the frame and arranged to leave a space between the axle sections, and a cleaver support mounted in said space with freedom of vertical adjustment, the cleaver support having a cleaver with a removable blade at the lower end thereof and the frame being open in front of the cleaver support to permit of access to the blade of the cleaver when the latter is raised into the frame for blade-adjusting and blade-changing operations.

9. In a machine of the character described, a frame, wheel-supported axle sections carrying the frame and arranged to leave a space between the axle sections, a cleaver support mounted in said space with freedom of vertical adjustment, and means for adjusting the axle sections longitudinally of the frame.

10. A machine of the character described comprising a vehicle including a frame and a pair of supporting wheels and having earth-cleaving means carried by the frame, means for individually moving. each wheel longitudinally of the frame for effecting a desired placing of the cleaving means in relation to the axes of the wheels, means for axially moving the wheels individually for adjusting the space between the wheels and the relative position of the cleaving means with respect to the wheels, and means for tilting each of the wheels individually whereby the wheels can be tilted without affecting the cleaving means. MARSHALL THOMAS JOSEPH GARLINGER. 

